Volunteers Needed to Help with Tern Grid Installation - April 12, 2011 Posted Wednesday, April 06, 2011 at 10:00:20 AM     Alexandria Bay, NY 1000 Islands  Comments  Unique Views 1884/Total Views 1927

Common Terns were once abundant throughout the St. Lawrence River Valley. However, populations of these graceful waterbirds with their distinctive call have dropped to dramatically low levels due to loss of nesting habitat. In fact, Common Terns are listed as a 'threatened' species in New York State.

Save The River and the Thousand Islands Land Trust are looking for volunteers to help with our annual Common Tern exclusion grid installation on Tuesday, April 12th, 2011. Volunteers will meet at the Land Trust offices in Clayton at 9 a.m. to gather equipment and catch the boat to the project location.


Volunteer John Johnson assists with grid installation.

Since 2003, Save The River and TILT have teamed up to install an exclusion grid on both the Eagle Wing Shoal and Tidd Island. The grid helps protect these New York State threatened species from harassment and predation from other water birds such as gulls. The grid also helps to preserve nesting habitat for this species that is constantly competing for nesting space amongst gulls and Double-Crested Cormorants.

This annual effort, along with careful monitoring of nesting birds by Save The River’s volunteers, is all part of Save The River and TILT’s joint Common Tern Monitoring Program. The program originated in the late nineties and works to monitor nesting Common Terns annually to assess the population. Additionally, volunteers participate in habitat restoration initiatives such as grid installation, placing nest boxes and chick shelters on nesting sites and adding gravel to areas to make suitable and safe nesting habitat for terns. All of these efforts have helped to increase tern populations over the last 3 years.

To read more about Save The River’s Common Tern Monitoring Program visit our Terns page.

Help us help terns! To RSVP to help with the grid installation call the Save The River office, 315-686-2010 or e-mail Save The River Program Manager, Sarah Walsh.

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